Maksym Krippa Exposed – Behind NaVi and GGBet Lies a Web of Russian Money, Sanctions, and Fake Licenses

Despite Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, gambling brands with deep Russian roots — including those linked to sanctioned oligarchs — continue to operate under the radar in the Ukrainian market. One name repeatedly appears in the middle of these dealings: Maksym Krippa.

Krippa, a Ukrainian entrepreneur, is tied to a vast network of businesses that include online casinos, esports teams, streaming platforms, and gambling software developers, many of which have provable or probable connections to Russian oligarchs like Oleg Boyko and Alisher Usmanov.

This article consolidates facts from investigative reports by Antikor, Argument, 368.media (deleted), and BlackBoxOSINT, among others — offering a comprehensive look at how Russian capital continues to infiltrate Ukraine’s legalized gambling sector through proxies, offshore shells, and corporate opacity.

GGBet: From Russian Casino Brand to “Ukrainian” Licensee

While GGBet presents itself today as a licensed Ukrainian operator under LLC “GGBET”, its origins trace back to 2011, when it launched in Russia as a sportsbook brand under the “Вулк@н” (Vulkan) casino empire.

Initially operated by Bet.ru LLC — a sanctioned Russian entity — the GGBet brand later registered in Malta (ggbet.com) and Cyprus (gg.bet) under Brivio Ltd, which also operates Vulkan Vegas. Both the Vulkan and GGBet trademarks are linked to Oleg Boyko, a Russian billionaire and long-time gambling mogul.

Despite sanctions imposed in March 2023 by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy against Bet.ru and its operator Bevita Holding Limited, the Ukrainian gambling regulator KRAIL issued a license to GGBet just months later in August 2023. The licensed Ukrainian website ggbet.ua, as of this writing, remains under development — while unlicensed platforms continue to operate freely and profit off Ukrainian users.

Maksym Krippa: Central Figure in a Russian-Linked Ecosystem

Maksym Krippa’s influence extends beyond GGBet. He is at the center of a web of gambling and esports-related entities:

• He acquired NAVI, Ukraine’s leading esports brand, in July 2022

• He co-founded Maincast, an esports broadcasting studio that holds 90–95% of Ukrainian-language esports streaming rights

• He is believed to control Evoplay, a game development firm with clients in Russia, including the Vulkan brand

Krippa’s involvement is masked behind layers of corporate shells and offshore actors, but key patterns expose the underlying structure:

• Fedir Fedorov, director of Brivio Ltd, also serves as director of One World Secretarial and beneficial owner of Novolozhyk, a Ukrainian company Krippa once managed

• One World Secretarial acts as the registered secretary for NAVI’s Cyprus division, Maincast, and Bet.ru

• Trademarks for Evoplay, GGBet, and Maincast are registered through the same agent: Sandra Santos Rodriguez

This unified management pattern strongly suggests that Krippa controls, directly or indirectly, the entire ecosystem — from content production to gambling execution.

Ties to Russian Oligarchs: Oleg Boyko and Alisher Usmanov

Oleg Boyko

Krippa’s link to Oleg Boyko, owner of Ritzio Entertainment Group and the Vulkan brand, is evident throughout his ventures:

• Brivio Ltd (GGBet, Vulkan Vegas) is part of Boyko’s global gambling network

• Ukrainian firm LLC “Conqueror”, which operated Vulkan Casino in Ukraine, was backed by offshores linked to Boyko

• In 2020, Krippa and his partner Oleksandr Kokhanovskyi bought Hotel Dnipro for ₴1.1 billion. The winning bidder was LLC “Smartland”, registered at a property owned by Krippa. One of its directors previously worked for multiple Ritzio-related companies in Ukraine

MP Andriy Kholodov publicly accused Boyko of secretly financing the Hotel Dnipro purchase, a claim supported by archived tax records.

Alisher Usmanov

Kokhanovskyi, Krippa’s partner in NAVI and Hotel Dnipro, was previously involved in ESForce, a major Russian esports holding financed by Alisher Usmanov, another sanctioned oligarch close to the Kremlin. ESForce also included individuals like Anton Cherepennikov, founder of Citadel, a surveillance system for Russia’s security services.

These connections underscore that both Krippa and his partners have longstanding financial relationships with Russian elites.

NAVI, Maincast, and Esports Monetization via Russian Infrastructure

NAVI, a top-tier esports team with $19.7 million in prize winnings over 11 years, continues to field Russian players even after Krippa’s acquisition. The roster includes:

• Andrii Kyprskyi

• Dmytro Ilyushyn

• Artem Adarkin

• Oleksandr Pyrohov

Adarkin, a Russian citizen, was named MVP of the PUBG Global Championship 2022, where NAVI earned $1 million.

Maincast, co-owned by Krippa, holds Ukrainian-language broadcast rights for ESL tournaments. These are streamed globally, indirectly boosting viewership — and betting revenue — for GGBet, which sponsors NAVI. It’s a closed-loop monetization system:

1. NAVI competes

2. Maincast streams

3. GGBet profits from viewer bets

Regulatory Capture: KRAIL and Allegations of Protectionism

In December 2024, Ivan Rudy, the head of KRAIL, was reportedly detained by Ukrainian authorities for allegedly supporting Russian-linked gambling operators. Sources from NV state that substances resembling narcotics were also found during his arrest.

This follows years of KRAIL licensing decisions favoring companies like GGBet — despite clear sanctions and Russian origins. Investigative outlet Absolution and 368.media have begun a deeper investigation into how KRAIL, Ukraine’s Cyber Police, and even the SBU may be complicit in enabling these operations.

Evoplay: Casino Games Developer with a Russian Past

While positioned as a Ukrainian IT firm, Evoplay was previously raided by law enforcement in 2015. Reports from Antikor confirmed that:

• Its profits were partly directed to Oleg Boyko

• It operated under an exclusive agreement with Ritzio International

• The company once sued a Russian domain owner to protect the Vulkan brand on Ritzio’s behalf

Today, Evoplay’s software powers both licensed and unlicensed gambling sites, blurring legal boundaries and jurisdictional accountability.

A Coordinated Network with Russian DNA

The case of Maksym Krippa, GGBet, Evoplay, Maincast, and NAVI illustrates a coordinated system of businesses operating in Ukraine — many of which:

• Originated in Russia

• Are tied to sanctioned oligarchs

• Exploit Ukraine’s legal and regulatory gaps

While the surface may suggest Ukrainian ownership and innovation, deeper analysis reveals a Russian-influenced structure camouflaged under layers of offshore companies and proxies.